Trump, White nationalism, and the cracks in the Conservative movement
September 8, 2015 11:56 AM   Subscribe

#NRORevolt, explained.
Trump's ideological profile looks much less like orthodox US conservatism than it does like European "far-right" political parties such as the National Front in France, the True Finns, or the Sweden Democrats. Like successful European far-right leaders, he eschews explicit racial politics but merges extreme anti-immigration policies, populist hostility to the political establishment, and moderate views on social assistance to the elderly. In Trump's case, this is combined with an explicit nostalgia appeal — he says he wants to "Make America Great Again," presumably back to how it was before we had gay marriage and black presidents.
posted by gwint (16 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: Hey, we've got recent open threads on Trump and another about the cuckservative movement, so this might go better in one of those. -- LobsterMitten



 
I haven't been following politics lately, but please tell me Trump will soon fall back to Tuesday evening reality stardom again now that school is back in and NFL is starting.
posted by lpcxa0 at 11:59 AM on September 8, 2015


...presumably back to how it was before we had gay marriage and black presidents.

Or indeed, back to how it was when gays and blacks -- and women, for that matter -- knew their place.

And the place of straight white men on top, both figuratively and literally.
posted by Celsius1414 at 12:00 PM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]


Oh man could Trump get into bed with the John Birch Society? The NRO would have a meltdown.
posted by GuyZero at 12:00 PM on September 8, 2015


Trump's ideological profile looks much less like orthodox US conservatism than it does like European "far-right" political parties such as the National Front

Err, does it? Other than replacing subtext with text he's very much spouting the same crap they have for years.

Mainly they seem pissed off at him for running off with dog whistles they consider theirs and not being accountable to his fellow billionaires.
posted by Artw at 12:02 PM on September 8, 2015 [3 favorites]


A friend of mine and I were talking about this, and he pointed out that Trump is basically an American Burlesconi - xenophobic billionaire running on nativist populism and dissatisfaction with the political elites.

But yeah, when National "Blacks-Aren't-Inferior-But-Their-Culture-Is" Review says that your white supremacy is starting to smell, it's time to change your socks.
posted by Avenger at 12:04 PM on September 8, 2015 [3 favorites]


I haven't been following politics lately, but please tell me Trump will soon fall back to Tuesday evening reality stardom again now that school is back in and NFL is starting.

They can coexist.
posted by Etrigan at 12:05 PM on September 8, 2015


just linked in prior Trump thread: Donald Trump is brilliant revenge: The GOP’s demise looks a lot like this
But Trump’s danger to the Republican Party is not simply that he rips the veneer off the racism, sexism, and religious hypocrisy of Movement Conservatism, exposing its rhetoric about taxes and lazy takers for the elitism it is. Trump also articulates the anger of a generation of voters who see that they have been taken for a ride. Movement Conservatives promised voters who were falling behind in the modern world that if they voted Republican, tax cuts and a smaller government would create a roaring economy and they would prosper.

In fact, the opposite was true.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 12:07 PM on September 8, 2015


Say what you will about how awful Trump is--and there's lots to say about that--it's more sobering to me to realize that, on the issues, he's the least offensive and scary candidate running for the R nomination.
posted by LooseFilter at 12:09 PM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]


Oh man could Trump get into bed with the John Birch Society? The NRO would have a meltdown.


What remains of the Birchers is pretty much the province of the Koch brothers.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:10 PM on September 8, 2015


Thing I don't get about Trump is if he has as much money as advertised, he shouldn't be getting into politics, he should be buying politicians - it's cheaper, and you don't expose yourself to the sort of negative feedback that rich old men tend to really hate getting (and he gets a LOT of).

A billionaire making a serious run at the presidency just doesn't scan for me.
posted by Mooski at 12:12 PM on September 8, 2015


American Exceptionalism is such a seductive mindset that I'm kind of bummed that our homegrown fascism is so derivative of Berlusconi-style Italian fascism.
posted by infinitewindow at 12:13 PM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]


Say what you will about how awful Trump is--and there's lots to say about that--it's more sobering to me to realize that, on the issues, he's the least offensive and scary candidate running for the R nomination.
posted by LooseFilter at 12:09 PM on September 8 [1 favorite +] [!]


How so? Trump has stated openly that he plans to revoke the citizenship of a few dozen million Latino-Americans because their parents didn't have their paperwork in order. Is there anything much worse than ethnic cleansing?
posted by Avenger at 12:13 PM on September 8, 2015


Thing I don't get about Trump is if he has as much money as advertised, he shouldn't be getting into politics, he should be buying politicians - it's cheaper, and you don't expose yourself to the sort of negative feedback that rich old men tend to really hate getting (and he gets a LOT of).

He thrives on negative feedback. "If they hate you, you're doing something right." is carved into his brain.
posted by Etrigan at 12:15 PM on September 8, 2015


It can't happen here.
posted by Steely-eyed Missile Man at 12:15 PM on September 8, 2015 [2 favorites]


Here's what the "voice of reason" in this discussion, the NRO, is saying:
We sometimes mean Jews, blacks, college kids, Lena Dunham fans, and countless other partisan slices of the electorate who reflexively vote on strict party lines for emotional or irrational reasons. We laugh at liberals who let know-nothing celebrities do their thinking for them.
Nope, nothing wrong with this discussion, move along folks...
posted by clawsoon at 12:18 PM on September 8, 2015


Thing I don't get about Trump is if he has as much money as advertised, he shouldn't be getting into politics, he should be buying politicians - it's cheaper, and you don't expose yourself to the sort of negative feedback that rich old men tend to really hate getting (and he gets a LOT of).

This assumes he isn't really incredibly dumb.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:18 PM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]


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